Buckle for strapping parcel with tape



Dec. 10, 1968 KEVNJI HATTORI 3,414,943

BUCKLE FOR STRAPPING PARCEL WITH TAPE Filed Dec. 12, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l l mm Dec. 10, 1968 KENJ I HATT ORI BUCKLE FOR STRAPPING PARCEL WITH TAPE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 19%

FIG. 5.

0, 1968 KENJI HATTORI 3,414,943

BUCKLE FOR STRAPPING PARCEL WITH TAPE Filed Dec; 12, 1966 H 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l FIG. 6

KENJI HATTORI BUCKLE FOR STRAPPING PARCEL WITH TAPE Filed Dec.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 10

FIG.

United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A buckle for fastening a tape or the like around a package has a frame with two straight portions and two snubbers in the form of straight rod portions connected to the frame by bendable connecting portions so as to be independently bent to a position in which each bar lies arcoss the frame so that the tape can be passed through the frame and around the bar. The frame is rectangular when used to secure a single loop of the strap and is isosceles right triangular when used to secure crossed loops.

The present invention relates to a buckle for tightly strapping parcels or similar objects with tape or belt.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a buckle for tightly fastening tape or belt for strapping a parcel or a similar object by simple manual operation.

The other object of the invention is to provide a buckle for fastening tightly tape or belt, which can be manufactured at very low cost.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the buckle of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view of the buckle shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3A and B are explanatory views of the buckle shown in FIG. 1 for showing how to use it,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view of the buckle shown in FIG. 1, when a tape is tightly fastened,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the buckle shown in FIG. 1 when a parcel is tightly strapped by a tape,

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the other embodiment of the buckle according to the invention,

FIG. 7 is a side view of the buckle shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a side view of the buckle shown in FIG. 6, seen from the left hand side in FIG. 1,

FIG. 9 is also a side view of the buckle shown in FIG. 6, seen from the right hand side in FIG. 1,

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a parcel strapped by a tape and a buckle shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 11 is a plan of the other embodiment of the buckle according to the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, an embodiment of the buckle according to the invention comprises a framed portion 1 having an approximately rectangular aperture 2 and a pair of snub'bers or stoppers 3 comprising central straight rod portions 3a, 3b and end portions 5 and 5 disposed at both ends of the central straight rod portions 3a and 312 respectively and a pair of thin connecting rod portions 4a and 4b connecting one side of the frame 1 with the expanded end portions 5' of each stopper 3 in such a way that the straight rod portions 3a and 3b are arranged in a parallel condition with a designed intervening distance so as to slightly overlap the straight rod portions 3a and 3b on the corresponding straight portions 1a and 1b when the connecting rod portions 4a and 4b are bent in a folding condition as shown in FIGS. 3B and FIG. 4 (hereinafter such a condition is referred to a folded condition). As shown in FIG. 2, the thickness of the slightly curved portions 10 and lid are slightly thinner than that of the straight portions 1a and 1b of the framed portion, and the thickness of the end portions 5 and 5' are also slightly thinner than that of the straight rod portions 3a and 3b. Consequently, the straight portions 3a and 3b can contact with the straight portions 1a and 1b, respectively, in the folded condition. The width of the end portions 5 and 5 are slightly wider than the straight rod portions so as to define the length of straight rod portions 3a and 312. It is preferable to have the length of the straight rod portions 3a and 3b the same as the width of the tape used.

When a parcel 8 is to be strapped with a tape 6, a tape having sufficient length for strapping the parcel 8 by using the buckle of the invention must be provided. First, the connecting portion 4a, is bent so as to form a folded condition and then an end 6b of the tape 6 is inserted into the intervening space between the straight portion 1b, and the straight rod portion 311 in an overlapping condition around the straight rod portion 3b as shown in FIG. 3A. Next, a loop 9 is formed by the other end 6a of the tape 6 as shown in FIG. 3B after the tape 6 has been wound around the parcel 8. And then, the other connecting portion 4a is bent so as to form the folded condition and straight rod portion 3a is inserted into the loop 9 of the tape 6 and the end 6a is pulled outward. Consequently, the loop 9 is eliminated. The slack of the tape 6 wound around the parcel 8 is eliminated by pulling both ends 6a and 6b of the tape in the outward direction. In such a condition, the respective tape ends 6a and 6b are tightly secured by relative frictional force produced between the tapes 6 and 6a (6b) and, between the straight portion 1a (1b) and the tape end 601 (6b), between the straight rod portion 3a (3b) and the tape end 6a (6b), respectively, as shown in FIG. 4. Finally, the parcel 8 is bound tightly by the tape 6 and the fastener 1 as shown in FIG. 5.

The fastener shown in the drawings of FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 is another embodiment of the invention for crossstrapping a parcel with a tape. The fastener shown in FIG. 6 comprising rectangular portions 11 and 12 and an hypotenuse portion 10 and two straight rod portions 11b and 12b as shown in FIG. 6. The rectangular framed portion 11 comprises a pair of paralleled and straight portions 11a and 11a and a rectangular aperture 11d, the rectangular portion '12 also comprises a pair of paralleled and straight portions 12a and 12a, the hypotenuse portion 10 comprises an oblique side portion 10a and two side portions 11a and 12a having equal length. A pair of edge portions 13 and 13, 14 and 14' are disposed at both ends of the straight rod portions 11b and 12b, respectively, and the edges 13' and 1.4 are connected with rectangular portions 11 and 12 through thin connecting portions 110 and 120, respectively, as shown in FIG. 6. The relative relations of the rectangular frame portions 11 and 12 with the respective straight rod portions 111; and 12b, edge portions 13, 13 and 14, 14 and the connecting portions 110 and 12c, are same as that of the fastener shown in FIG. 1.

When parcel 16 is to be strapped with a tape 15, first of all, a sufficient length of tape 15 is turned at right angle at the oblique portion a as shown in FIG. 10, and both ends of a and 15b of turned tapes 15a and 15b are manipulated in the same manner as that of the case of the first embodiment explained by the drawings of FIG. 33. Finally, both ends of tape 15a and 15b are pulled in the outward directions, whereby parcel 16 is tightly crossstrapped by the buckle 10 and the tape 15 as shown in FIG. 10.

In FIG. 11, the other type of buckle having modified construction of the buckle shown in FIG. 6. The functional features of the buckle having stoppers 17 with straight portions 18 of the buckle are same as that of the buckle shown in FIG. 6.

To obtain more tightly fastening effect by the buckle, it is preferable to dispose a plurality of small longitudinal grooves on the straight portions of the frame and the straight rod portions.

The above-mentioned fasteners have very simple construction, therefore, it is preferable to manufacture by the so-called injection method for manufacturing plastic goods so as to maintain production cost low. Any kind of tape or belt can be used with the fastener of the invention.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A buckle for fastening a tape or belt-like object, comprising a framed portion having an approximately rectangular aperture and a pair of separate snubbers connected with said framed portion by connecting members respectively, said framed portion having a pair of parallel straight portions and a pair of other portions surrounding said rectangular aperture, each of said snubbers comprising a straight rod portion and a pair of end portions disposed at both ends of said straight rod portion, said end portions having greater width than that of said straight rod portion, said straight rod portions being foldably connected to said framed portion by said connecting members in such a way that said straight rod portions are arranged in a parallel relationship with a selected intervening distance so as to slightly overlap the corresponding straight portions of said framed portion when said connecting members are bent in a folding condition, said straight rod portions being unconnected with each other except by being connected by said connecting members to said framed portion and being independently movable to said folded condition, whereby, when a tape having sufficient length for strapping a parcel or a like object is used, each end of said tape is inserted into said aperture of the frame and turned over the respective straight rod portion in a folded and overlapped condition with the respective straight portion of the frame and passed through the intervening space between the respective straight portion of frame and the respective succeeding portion of said tape, while the remaining portion of said tape forms a loop around a parcel or a like object, and then both ends of tape are pulled in an outward direction, thereby the slack of said looped tape is eliminated and said parcel or like object is bound tightly by said tape and buckle.

2. A buckle for fastening a tape or belt-like o bject according to claim 1, further characterized by said end portions having a lesser thickness than that of the straight rod portions.

3. A buckle for fastening a tape or belt-like object according to claim 1, further characterized by said other portions of said framed portion having lesser thickness than that of said parallel straight portions.

4. A buckle for fastening a tape or belt-like object according to claim 1, further characterized by said connecting members having a lesser thickness than that of said end portions.

5. A buckle for fastening a tape or belt-like object, comprising an isosceles right triangle framed portion, said framed portion having an isosceles right triangular aperture, a pair of rectangular framed portions connected to right angled sides of said right triangular portion respectively, and a straight rod portion connected to each of said rectangular framed portions through a respective connecting member respectively, each of said rectangular framed portions having an outer straight portion connected with a pair of other portions, each of said rectangular framed portions having a rectangular aperture therein, one of the straight portions of each of the rectangular framed portions forming said right angled sides of the triangular frame, said straight rod portions being foldable at said connecting members, said straight rod portions lying transversely across said other portions when in folded position, whereby a tape having sufficient length for strapping a parcel or like object is used, said tape is turned over an oblique side portion of said isosceles right triangular framed portion and both ends of tape are inserted into said apertures of said rectangular frames and turned over the respective straight rod portions in the folded condition with the respective straight portions of said frames and passed through the respective intervening space between the respective straight portions of said rectangular frames and the respective succeeding portions of said tape, while the remaining portion of said tape forms crossed loops around a parcel or like object and then both ends of the tape are pulled in the outward direction so that the slack of said looped tape is eliminated and said parcel or like object is strapped tightly by said tape and buckle.

6. A buckle for fastening a tape or like object according to claim 5, further characterized by each of said straight rod portions having a straight central portion and opposite end portions of greater width and less thickness than the straight central portion.

7. A buckle for fastening a tape or like object according to claim 5, further characterized by said other portions of said rectangular framed portions having a lesser thickness than that of the outer parallel straight portions.

8. A buckle for fastening a tape or like object according to claim 6, further characterized by said connecting members having a lesser thickness than that of said end portions.

9. A buckle for fastening a tape or belt-like object, comprising a framed member and a pair of independent snubbers connected respectively with said framed member by a pair of foldable connecting members, said framed member including a pair of straight portions positioned on two sides thereof and connecting side portions, aperture means defined by said frame member and including an aperture opening adjacent each of said straight portions, each said snubber comprising a straight rod portion, said straight rod portions being connected to said framed member by said connecting members in such a way that said straight rod portions lie transversely across said connecting side portions and are parallel to corresponding straight portions of the framed member and spaced therefrom so as to slightly overlap the corresponding straight portions of said framed member when said connecting members are folded, said straight rod portions being unconnected with each other except by being connected by said connecting members to said framed member and being independently movable to said folded position, whereby, when a tape having sufiicient length for strapping a parcel or a like object is used, each end of the tape is inserted into one of said aperture openings of the frame respectively and turned over said straight rod portions in a folded and overlapped condition with respect to the straight portions of the framed member and passed through the intervening space between the respective straight portion of the framed member and the respective succeeding portions of said tape, while the remaining portion of said tape forms a loop around a parcel or like object, and then both ends of the tape are pulled in an outward direction so that slack of the looped tape is eliminated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 3,206,816 9/1965 Vilcins 24-74 3,271,831 9/1966 Litwin 24-200 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner.

10 us. c1. X.R. 

